Sixteen year old Lucye Magill sits in her bedroom in a small town in Georgia reading Ender’s Game for the first time. Little did she know that by falling in love with that book it would cause her to eventually live a life dedicated to giving other teens a chance to have that same feeling of losing themselves within a novel.

Magill was recently awarded Staff Member of the Month, after serving as the media specialist for the school for a total of seven years.

“I just love educating people,” she said. “I think the more education people have the better off they are. They’re able to make better decisions and be empathetic toward people who aren’t like them.”

One day a couple years back, a kid walked in the library with only his back pack to keep him company. Having never read a book for himself as opposed to ones the curriculum told him to, he never thought about reading for pleasure.

Magill took an interest in the boy and by getting to know him through a series of questions, she found something that was perfect for him. And so through encouragement and motivation, she convinced him to give reading a chance.

From that point on he kept coming back, asking for a new book every time he finished the last.

These stories are what Magill embodies — a person who preaches that anyone is welcome in the library and they can always find something for them if they give it a shot.

“I always knew I wanted to do this. My friend’s mom was a librarian and I would sometimes help her stack shelves as a kid,” she said.

She was fascinated by everything. From the tall stacks filled with different worlds just waiting to be discovered by someone to all the various people there to learn something new and exiting.

Every day is a new challenge, and that is what Magill loves most about her job. There isn’t a day that’s exactly like the rest, and it’s what she thrives on, making it no question as to why she achieved what she has.

“But I can’t take all the credit for earning the award. None of it would have been possible without my team,” she said.

She is determined to make the library fun and different from the usual picture that pops into peoples heads — boring and quiet. Magill is helped by the rest of the library staff in making sure that there are things for all students to enjoy, such as virtual reality field trips and breakout boxes.

On top of constantly working to make sure all kids feel included, she has branched out into something new this year — sponsoring the step team. While she doesn’t teach them anything per say, this is her first time sponsoring a club and it has created beautiful bonds between herself and the kids who are a part of it.

“It is so cool getting to know different people and what they do. They even taught me how to step which was pretty awesome and now when they come in here it’s like a little treat,” Magill said.

Lucye Magill is a mother to two little girls. She’s someone who reads different books at one time just for fun. She’s even a dancer now. But most importantly, she is a woman who spreads kindness and support to all students who walk through those big doors, never letting one child feel out of place.

“I just love educating people,” Magill said. “I think with more education the more people are able to be empathetic to people who aren’t like them. And to me that’s beautiful.”